Going, Going, Gone?
by this.all.works.out.in.the.end
Summary: Booth gets the opportunity to go to California on a high profile mission...higher salary...nice condo on the beach....for anywhere from 36 months.  Can he manage to leave Bones?  Can she manage to cope without him?   Also posted on Bones forum.
1. Chapter 1

"Agent Booth? We have a letter for you," an agent knocked politely on Booth's open door before speaking.  
"You can come in," Booth peered up from looking at thick piles of paperwork that he had yet to file. Agent O'Brian stepped in and carefully handed a letter across Booth's desk to him. Booth thanked him with a friendly nod, and Agent O'Brian disappeared. Booth threw the letter down in front of him carelessly, and began to finish the paperwork. He was signing his name for verification, and was working on the L in his first name when he noticed the insignia of the FBI stamped superiorly on the envelope. He hurriedly grabbed the enveloped and sliced it open with his envelope knife. He unfolded the tri-folded paper, and started reading:

To Special Agent Seeley Booth:  
Under great circumstances, I am honored to tell you that a job has been found open, and under our review of your wonderful performance here in D.C., I wish to appoint you to this job…

It proceeded to talk about a wonderful job out in California. The pay would be increased, and his spending rates also. He would get to live in an apartment on the coastline of California, completely paid for. He was overjoyed and happily excited as he thought of living on the beautiful coastline with Rebecca, who he was seeing again. He was about to run out of his office to find Cullen when his phone rang, and he looked down at the Caller ID, and felt his heart sink when he read it…it was Bones. This would mean leaving her…could he do that?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys! So sorry. The first is just a teaser! HAHA. Well I've posted this already on the Bones Forum on-site, so if you want to cheat…you can read there. New here, so sorry if the publications rocky at first…**

**B**

"Hey, Bones, can I come in?" Booth asked as he knocked on her doorframe just as Agent O'Brian had on his. She looked up and Booth felt guilty as he watched her face light up, realizing it was him.

"Yeah, I guess," she attempted to avoid her obvious emotions. Booth stepped in and slowly made his way to what he'd grown to call "his seat" in front of her desk, and sat down.

"We have a case?" Her face perked as she turned away from her computer screen to face him.

"No, no…it's – not a case," he looked down at the envelope in his hands, trying to figure out what to say to her.

"Are you okay? I can see sweat forming on your upper forehead indicating that you are nervous, and you're wringing your hand together as if-"

"I thought you hated psychology."  
"Well- yeah. Still, what's wrong?" Booth wanted to crumbled under the look she gave him, her eyes searching his, something she rarely ever did. This was a moment when Bones was like a real person. Somehow, she felt his emotions, but covered it up with scientific blabber. Booth loved these moments – in fact he lived for them – and now he had to crush the confidence she finally had in trusting him, and trusting her relational instincts. It hurt him like nothing else inside, and he leaned forward in the chair, extending the envelope. She looked at the insignia,

"FBI?"

"Yes," Booth solemnly played with his poker chip he'd pulled out of his suit jacket pocket. He was hardly able to watch her as she slowly pulled the letter out of the creamy envelope, and started to unfold the letter. Her eyes scanned through the top, then slowed as she began to read the letter. To his surprise, nothing flickered across her face as she read the letter. He watched as her eyes traveled the length of the letter, and winced as he realized she was finished.

"This is great Booth, I'm so glad for you," she carefully folded the letter and slid it into it's creamy encasing.

"You think? I don't know if I'm going to go…"

"Why not? You need to. This is GREAT!" He tried not to let the confusion become apparent on his face while he watched her face stay tightly in the same position as it had been before. He couldn't decide if he should be hurt by her absent reaction or not.  
"Yeah, I guess it would be…good," he probed her eyes for anything; fear, sadness, brokenness, loss, but found nothing.

"Yeah, I think so, too. When would you leave?" There, he caught it. Something danced across her eyes, but he thought it looked more like exhaustion than sadness, fear, or loss.

"Thirty days." Fireworks exploded in her eyes, the colors bright and shining and clear: anger, loss, realization. Then they disappeared as quickly as they came.

"That's great." Booth nodded.

"Yeah…well I have to go tell Rebecca," he stood up and missed the most vibrant explosion of her emotions as the truth washed over her.

"I'll see you later, then…"

"Yeah. I'll call you later tonight…" And he was gone. Bones nervously turned to her computer, and dove instinctively back into her work.


End file.
